We continuously strive to discover new ways of making our life easier but unfortunately this sometimes comes at a great cost to the environment and our planet. Plastic is useful in our daily life but is a menace now as we increase our dependence on it. Be it toothbrushes, clothes (60 per cent of them are made from plastic) food and water containers or digital devices, we cannot live without plastic.
How have we become so dependent on plastics? The story started when natural plastics such as horn, tortoiseshell, amber, rubber, and shellac were discovered and used. This process was developed by a Belgian chemist and clever marketeer, Leo Baekeland, who pioneered the first fully synthetic plastic in 1907, combining two chemicals, formaldehyde and phenol, under heat and pressure. And in the 20th century, there was a notable revolution in plastic production: the advent of entirely synthetic plastics.
There are many reasons why people prefer to use plastic products. Plastic is considered a highly durable material, making it ideal for various uses. It is resistant to water and many other chemicals, which means it is suitable for outdoor use. It is also resistant to wear and tear, as you can use it repeatedly without losing its original shape or appearance.
Plastics production consumes less energy. The manufacturing process of plastic bags for example is energy efficient, while the solid waste percentage is less. A plastic bag consumes up to 40 per cent less energy to make and causes 70 per cent less solid waste than a paper bag, which makes it a cost-saving material.
Another advantage of using plastic is in construction since it has a significant role in energy conservation. Insulation composed of plastic can markedly reduce heat loss, maintaining a building's internal temperature and reducing the reliance on energy-consuming heating and cooling systems. Consequently, and arguably, plastic contributes to a more sustainable and energy-efficient construction industry.
The darker side of using plastic however is that plastic takes years to decompose. Some plastics may even take 400 years or more to fully decompose. Starting from leather shoes which take 40 years to decompose to a plastic bag which takes 1,000 years to decompose. This could explain why pollution is increasing, specifically harming aquatic life, as most of the waste lands in the oceans. National Geographic states that 90 per cent of seabirds are affected by plastic waste. Other reports show that about 35 per cent of turtles die by ingesting plastic!
While plastic is a cheaper material to use when it comes to production, it is very costly on our life as it is manufactured using a variety of toxic chemicals such as BPA and DBP. These chemicals could adversely affect our health in the long term as we eat food packed plastic boxes. This has been proved harmful not only on us as immediate consumers but on the next generations as microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies, making them, and us, susceptible to silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer,
Recognizing the gravity of this friendly-looking peril, different companies started providing alternatives such as bamboo, glass, paper, cardboard, bioplastic, wood, canvas bags, and stainless steel. These alternatives may be expensive but they can drastically reduce the environmental damage made by the plastic industry, for example, 19-23 million tons of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems.
Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change and directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities, and social well-being. Many chemicals found in plastics are endocrine disruptors, which can cause an imbalance in hormones, reproductive issues, and even cancer. Also, microplastics can leach harmful chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, both of which are known to interfere with hormones.
Banning plastic bags and imposing higher taxes on plastic production could be a way to reduce our dependence on plastics. Using plastic may be cheap and cost-saving but it could indiscriminately ruin our planet and our health. It is high time to consider more eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives.
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